Palm kicks off GDC with new 3D gaming tools

Aharon Etengoff, 9th March 2010

Palm kicked off the 2010 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco with the release of a public beta version of its next-gen webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK).

According to company spokesperson Katie Mitic, the new PDK complements Palm's webOS Software Development Kit (SDK), allowing developers to use C/C++ and mix them "seamlessly" within a single app.

"The PDK enables new functionality, including immersive 3D graphics, and gives developers who have built games for other platforms an easy way to bring their titles to the webOS platform," Mitic told TG Daily in an e-mailed statement.

"Developers can download the beta PDK and start developing today, but distribution of games built with the beta PDK will require functionality provided in an upcoming Palm webOS update."

Mitic added that Palm currently boasts both the developer tools and the hardware necessary for a "world-class" gaming experience.

Indeed, Palm has already introduced 12 games (at CES 2010) designed by four leading developers, including:

Asphalt 5 (Gameloft)

Brain Challenge (Gameloft)

Glyder 2 (Glu Mobile)

Let's Golf! (Gameloft)

MONOPOLY (EA Mobile)

Need for Speed Undercover (EA Mobile)

SCRABBLE (EA Mobile)

Sudoku (EA Mobile)

Tetris (EA Mobile)

The Oregon Trail (Gameloft)

The Sims 3 (EA Mobile)

X-Plane (Laminar Research)

Since then, more than 20 additional webOS titles have been launched by early-access developers: